The Detroit Lions‘ 2024 season devolved from a dream to a nightmare when it flipped from the regular season to the postseason.
Detroit won a franchise-record 15 games to capture the NFC North division crown and the conference’s top seed for the postseason, but it all came crashing down with a thud in a 45-31 NFC divisional-round home loss against the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Now, the Lions are also reconciling that they’ll be starting over at both the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator positions on their coaching staff with Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in line to become NFL head coaches this hiring cycle. Johnson has been interviewed by the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders, and Glenn has interviewed for openings with the Bears, Jaguars, Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets.
The Lions’ Johnson-led attacks averaged 29.0 points per game since he became Detroit’s OC, the most in the NFL in that time. The 33.2 points per game they produced in 2024 led the league and was the most in a season in franchise history. Glenn’s Lions defense’s points-per-game-allowed average decreased while their takeaways increased in each year he has been the DC since 2021. Detroit’s 20.1 points-per-game-allowed this season were the seventh fewest in the NFL and the fewest for the Lions since 2014 when they surrendered just 17.6 points per game. The Lions’ 24 takeaways were tied for the ninth most in the NFL and the most in a season for Detroit since 2017 when the team racked up 32 takeaways.
However, Lions head coach Dan Campbell won’t be rushing to immediately replace either coach, citing the need on Monday to get the hires right. Even though he believes he has strong internal candidates, Campbell plans to also interview coaches outside of the organization.
“I think we’ve got guys on staff that I think are more than qualified and would be outstanding in those roles [offensive and defensive coordinator], but that does not mean I’m not looking outside either,” Campbell said. “I want what I believe is going to be as close to what we have been as possible. We don’t lose what we’re about and our identity. … We’re going to stay true to who we are. If you’re somebody who doesn’t feel comfortable with that, this isn’t the job for you.
“I’m not going to be in a hurry. I’m not in a mad dash. I want to do what’s right by our team, and what I believe is going to, those guys are going to be able to stand in front of that room and command respect and get everybody going in the same direction. And will ultimately deliver the same message I’m delivering.”
So which internal candidates could be in the mix for promotions to the coordinator positions in Detroit? Here is a look at a couple candidates for each side of the ball.
Internal OC candidates
Scottie Montgomery, assistant head coach/running backs coach
Montgomery has been in his role as assistant head coach/running backs coach in each of the last two seasons, aka Jahmyr Gibbs‘ entire NFL career. Detroit’s 141.1 rushing yards per game since 2023 is the fourth most in the NFL while the team ranks fifth in yards per carry (4.6). The Lions lead the NFL with 56 rushing touchdowns under Montgomery’s tutelage the last two seasons. Both Gibbs and David Montgomery have produced over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024. Gibbs’ 20 touchdowns from scrimmage led the league and are tied for the most in a season by a player in either their first or second NFL season. Gibbs’ 6.4 scrimmage yards per touch in 2024 were the second most in a season in the 21st Century, trailing only Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk’s 6.6 yards per scrimmage touch during his 2000 NFL MVP season.
That’s a strong argument for a promotion if Campbell believes continuity is his desired path forward.
Tanner Engstrand, passing game coordinator
Engstrand worked in his second season as the passing game coordinator in 2024, meaning wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has earned first team All-Pro selections in each of his years at his current post. St. Brown’s 12 receiving touchdowns in 2024 were the most by a Lions players since Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson’s 12 in the 2013 season. He also became the first player in Lions history with 100 or more catches, 1,000 or more receiving yards and 10 or more receiving touchdowns in consecutive seasons.
Quarterback Jared Goff also had a banner year in 2024, throwing for 37 passing touchdowns — the fourth most in the league this season and the second most in a single season in team history behind only Matthew Stafford’s 41 in 2011. Goff’s seven games with at least three passing touchdowns in 2024 tied the Lions record for the most in a season along with Stafford in his 2011 season. Engstrand has also helped developed tight end Sam LaPorta, who set the NFL’s rookie receptions record for tight ends in 2023 with 86, a record that was shattered by Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers this season. LaPorta’s 17 receiving touchdowns since he entered the NFL in 2023 are tied for the most among tight ends along with Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews.
Like Montgomery, there is certainly a case for Engstrand to receive the promotion.
Internal DC candidates
Kelvin Sheppard, linebackers coach
Sheppard is in his fourth season in Detroit, third as the linebackers coach. Linebacker Alex Anzalone had career years in both 2022 and 2023 before battling injuries like many Lions have this season. He became just the third Lion ever to record multiple seasons with at least 125 tackles in each of those seasons. Second-year linebacker Jack Campbell was Pro Football Focus’ ninth-highest graded linebacker in 2024 with a 78.3 PFF defensive grade. He excelled in pass coverage with a 74.2 PFF coverage grade, which also was the ninth best in the league among linebackers. Anzalone was right behind him in that metric this season with a 72.1 PFF coverage grade, the 10th-best figure among linebackers.
Lions 2022 sixth-round pick linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, affectionately known as “Rodrigo” on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” by Campbell in 2022, registered the seventh-best PFF run defense grade in 2024 (87.1).
Terrell Williams, run game coordinator/defensive line coach
Terrell Williams joined Campbell’s staff in 2024 after six seasons with the Tennessee Titans (2018-2023) as their defensive line coach while also becoming the assistant head coach in 2023. Detroit had one of the NFL’s best run defenses in 2024, ranking fifth in the league in rushing yards per game allowed (98.4). That’s incredibly impressive considering the mash unit Detroit was up front. Edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport and James Houston suffered season-ending injuries as did defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Mekhi Wingo.
Despite all those injuries, the Lions pass rush was still a top 10 unit in pressuring the quarterback (37.2% quarterback pressure rate, sixth best in the NFL).
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Author: Garrett Podell
January 20, 2025 | 1:25 pm
